Bank ABC, the Bahrain-based international lender, has appointed Paul Jennings as its Group Chief Executive Officer with effect from 5 August 2026. The appointment has been approved by the Board of Directors and by the Central Bank of Bahrain, the bank said.

Jennings joins from British Arab Commercial Bank in London, where he currently serves as Chief Executive Officer. He succeeds Brendon Hopkins, who has been Acting Group CEO since 1 February 2026 and will continue with Bank ABC in an advisory capacity following the handover.

FOUR DECADES OF INTERNATIONAL BANKING

Jennings brings four decades of international banking experience to the role, spanning wholesale, corporate and cross-border franchises. Before his current position at British Arab Commercial Bank, he was Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ABC International Bank plc, the group's London-based subsidiary, giving him direct familiarity with Bank ABC's own network.

That prior tenure inside the group is likely to shorten the induction period typically associated with a change at the top. The London subsidiary is one of the most significant hubs in Bank ABC's international footprint, and the experience should allow Jennings to move quickly into strategic priorities across the group.

British Arab Commercial Bank, where he has led operations in his most recent role, sits within the same broader Middle East–focused wholesale banking landscape as Bank ABC. His time there has kept him close to the regional franchises and trade-finance flows that remain central to Bank ABC's business model.

SUCCESSION FROM ACTING CEO

The formal appointment brings to an end a period of interim leadership that began on 1 February 2026, when Hopkins stepped in as Acting Group CEO. By securing regulatory approval from the Central Bank of Bahrain ahead of Jennings' start date, the Board has locked in a permanent successor well in advance of the transition, avoiding a prolonged period of uncertainty.

Hopkins' decision to remain with the bank in an advisory role after the handover provides continuity during a critical window for the group. Advisory arrangements of this type are typical in cases where an interim executive is intended to bridge to a permanent appointment without abrupt disruption to reporting lines and stakeholder relationships.

For Bank ABC, the appointment marks the culmination of a search that has spanned a period of significant change in the wider Gulf banking sector, where several major institutions have refreshed their senior leadership over the past year. Bringing in an executive with deep group-specific experience represents a bet on continuity of strategy rather than a sharp change of direction.

The bank confirmed the appointment in a press release issued on 12 May 2026 through its corporate communications channels. Further details of Jennings' remit and any related organisational changes are expected as he formally assumes the position in early August. Bank ABC operates across a network of markets in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, the Americas and Asia, and its wholesale banking franchise remains anchored in trade finance and cross-border services for clients based in the Gulf. Regulatory approval by the Central Bank of Bahrain is a prerequisite for changes at the top of Bahraini banks. Securing that clearance well ahead of the effective date removes a significant execution hurdle.